1925Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial, also known as The Man at the Wheel, is dedicatedEvents & Anniversaries, Economy and Industry, Granite Industry, Celebrations & Anniversaries
The Gloucester Tercentenary Permanent Memorial Association sponsored an artistic competition to commemorate Gloucester’s 300th anniversary and to permanently memorialize the thousands of fishermen lost at sea. The English sculptor Leonard F. Craske’s design, based on an interpretation of a painting by Augustus Buhler, was accepted and cast by the Gorham Company of Providence, Rhode Island for $10,000. The base is of sea green granite, quarried from the famous “Blood Ledge” in Bay View. It includes an inscription of bronze letters taken from the 107th Psalm, which reads:
THEY THAT GO
DOWN TO THE SEA
IN SHIPS
1623 – 1923
The statue was dedicated on August 23, 1925, and since then the Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial has been viewed by thousands of visitors annually. It has become a symbol of the city, commemorating Gloucester’s link to the sea.
“Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial, Featured in Maritime History of Massachusetts--A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary." https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/glo.htm. “Man At The Wheel” Fishermen’s Memorial Statue - Gloucester, MA - Maritime Monuments and Memorials on Waymarking.Com. https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm509V_Man_At_The_Wheel_Fishermens_Memorial_Statue_Gloucester_MA.